Roll changing rig



J. H. BEARD ROLL CHANGING RIG Jan. 27, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 7 1966 mm gm my) mm! mm a "we NTOR JACK H. BEARD BY f 1L Q 7 H '5 ATTORNEY Jan. 27, 1970 J. H. BEARD ROLL CHANGING RIG 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 7, 1966 NVENTQQ JACK H. BEARD H15 ATTOENEY Jan. 27, 1970 J. H. BEARD 3,491,570

ROLL CHANGING RI G JACK H. BEARD H15 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,491,570 ROLL CHANGING RIG Jack Herbert Beard, Sheffield, England, assignor to Davy and United Engineering Company Limited, Sheffield,

Yorkshire, England Filed July 7, 1966, Ser. No. 564,712 Int. Cl. B21b 31/10 US. Cl. 72-239 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to rolling mills and roll changing apparatus therefor. In one aspect the invention provides roll changing apparatus for a rolling mill comprising a roll support adjacent the rolling mill, the roll support having two platforms, one above the other, each adapted to support a pair of rolls, the roll support being vertically movable so that either of the platforms may be positioned for transfer of the rolls between that platform and the mill, and between that platform and a roll storage area.

In a preferred form the invention provides a 4-high rolling mill in combination with a roll change rig at one side of the mill, the rig having two vertically spaced platforms each adapted to support a pair of work rolls, means for raising and lowering the rig to align either of the platforms with the work roll supports, means for transferring rolls between a roll storage area and a platform of the rig, and means located on the opposite side of the mill for transferring rolls between the mill and the rig. Preferably the lower work roll is nested with the upper work roll and the upper Work roll chocks carry wheels which are arranged to run on tracks on the platforms. Preferably the means for transferring rolls between the platforms and the mill comprise beams movable through the mill and having latches engageable with the work roll chocks.

Preferably tracks extend between the roll storage area and the rig, normal to the pass-line of the mill, for transferring the rolls between the roll storage area and the rig.

The roll change rig is preferably supported on slideways so that it can be moved away from the mill normal to the pass-line of the mill through a sufficient distance to allow withdrawal of the back-up rolls. Preferably the roll change rig and the back-up rolls are slidable on common tracks and arranged to be coupled together so that they can be withdrawn away from the mill by a common withdrawal means.

One embodiment of roll changing apparatus, in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings each of which is a section through the centre of the mill, normal to the pass-line thereof, through two of the roll change rigs elevator cylinders, and through the axis of the withdrawal cylinder.

FIGURE 1 shows the back-up rolls in the mill, the work rolls out of the mill and the roll change rig in its down position,

FIGURE 2 shows the back-up rolls in the mill, the work rolls out of the mill and the roll change in its upper position, and

FIGURE 3 shows the roll change rig and back-up rolls withdrawn from the mill.

A 4-high mill 12 has housings 13, 14 between which are supported upper and lower back-up rolls 15, 16 respectively having chocks 17, 18 for supporting their roll necks respectively, and a work roll unit 20. The work roll unit 20 com-prises a pair of rolls 21, 22 the chocks 23 of the upper roll having downwardly extending arms 24 in which the chocks 25 of the lower roll are nested, and

which carry wheels 26. The arrangement of the mill and rolls is similar to that described in US. Patent No. 3,208,260 and will not be further described herein.

On the non-drive side of the mill, is arranged a roll change rig 27 having a sledge 28 slidably supported on slideways 30 which are coextensive with the base of the windows of the housings 13, 14. The roll change rig has a lower platform 31 and an upper platform 32, each platform having two spaced tracks adapted to receive the wheels 26 of a work roll unit. The platforms are spaced by vertical members 33 at their corners which allow a work roll unit to be rolled onto or off the lower platform from either side. At the corners of the sledge 28 are secured four elevator cylinders 34 the pistons 35 of which are secured to the lower platform 31 and which may be supplied with pressurised fluid for raising and lowering the platforms together. In the lower position of the rig, the tracks on the upper platform are at floor level 36 and are aligned with tracks which extend between the rig and a roll storage area, normal to the pass-line of the mill. In the upper position of the rig the tracks on the lower platform are raised to floor level, being aligned with the tracks between the roll storage area and the rig.

The lower back-up roll chocks 18 are supported on a back-up roll sledge 37 slidable in the mill and along the slideways 30. On the opposite side of the roll change rig 27 from the mill, below the level of slideways 30 and aligned with the centre of the rig and the centre of the mill is located a withdrawal piston cylinder assembly 38, the piston 40 of which is connected at 41 to the side of the sledge 28 adjacent the mill. The sledge 37 from the back-up rolls is coupled to the sledge 28 of the rollchange rig so that the piston cylinder assembly 38 can Withdraw the back-up rolls and roll change rig together away from the mill. The means for transferring a work roll unit between the roll change rig and the mill is similar to that described in US. Patent No. 3,208,260, comprising beams 39 located on the drive side of the mill and extendable through the mill and having latches 39a engageable with the work roll chocks for pulling rolls from the platform into the mill and pushing rolls from the mill onto the platforms.

For a roll changing operation, the roll change rig is raised to its upper position with the lower platform aligned with the floor level tracks, and a new roll change unit 20a is brought from the roll change area to the lower platform while the mill is still in operation. The work roll unit can then be withdrawn below the floor level with the new work roll unit in position for roll changing and can remain there during rolling without obstructing that side of the mill. For work roll changing the old work roll unit 20 is withdrawn from the mill onto the upper platform 32, the rig is raised to its upper position and the new work roll unit 20a is pulled into the mill so that rolling can be restarted quickly. The roll change rig can be lowered and the old rolls removed to the roll storage area after the mill is back in operation. If the back-up rolls are also to be changed the work rolls are removed to the upper platform and from there to the roll storage area, the upper back-up roll is lowered until it is supported through spacers 42 on the lower back-up roll, the withdrawal piston cylinder assembly 38 is operated to withdraw the roll change rig and back-up rolls together to the position shown in FIGURE 3, after which the back-up rolls may be removed by crane, new back-up rolls placed adjacent the mill and the withdrawal cylinder operated to push the back-up rolls and roll change rig back towards the mill. The new work rolls are then inserted as before.

The elevator piston cylinders 34 may share a common hydraulic supply with the piston cylinder assembly 38. In general alternative form these may be screw jacks driven by an electric motor through gearing.

I claim:

1. A four-high rolling mill in combination with roll changing apparatus comprising:

a vertically movable roll change rig adjacent the rolling mill;

said rig having first and second fixedly spaced-apart platforms arranged one above the other;

said first platform having tracks for supporting an old pair of rolls from the mill;

said second platform having tracks for supporting a replacement pair of rolls for the mill;

means for moving said rig to a first position for transfer of the old pair of rolls from the mill to the said first platform and to a second position for transfer of the replacement pair of rolls from the said second platform to the mill; means for transferring rolls between the mill and said rig at its first and second positions; and

the mill having drive means on one side thereof and said rig being positioned on the non-drive side thereof.

2. A 4-high rolling mill in combination with a roll change rig according to claim 1 wherein the mill has work rolls of which the lower work roll is nested with the upper work roll and the upper Work roll chocks carry wheels which are arranged to run on tracks on the platforms.

3. A 4-high rolling mill in combination with a roll change rig, according to claim 1 wherein the mean for transferring rolls between the platforms and the mill comprise beams movable through the mill and having latches engageable With the work roll chocks.

4. A 4-high rolling mill in combination with a roll change rig according to claim 1 in combination with tracks which extend between the roll storage area and the rig, normal to the pass-line of the mill, for transferring rolls between the roll storage area and the rig.

5. A 4-high rolling mill in combination with a roll change rig according to claim 1 wherein the rig is slidably supported on slideways so that it can be moved away from the mill normal to the passline thereof through a sufiicient distance to allow withdrawal of the back-up rolls.

6. A 4-high rolling mill in combination with a roll change rig according to claim 5 having back-up rolls which are slidable on common tracks with the roll change rig, the rig and the back-up rolls being arranged to be coupled together so that they can be withdrawn away from the mill by common withdrawal means.

7. A roll changing apparatus for a rolling mill comprising:

a vertically movable roll change rig adjacent the rolling mill;

said rig having first and second fixedly spaced-apart platforms arranged one above the other; said first platform having tracks for supporting an old pair of rolls from the mill;

said second platform having tracks for supporting a replacement pair of rolls for the mill;

means for moving said rig to a first position for transfer of the old pair of rolls from the mill to the said first platform and to a second position for transfer of the replacement pair of rolls from the said second platform to the mill; and

means for transferring rolls between the mill and said rig at said first and second positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,286 12/1949 Sheperdson et a1 72-238 3,190,099 6/1965 Sieger et al 72-238 3,204,443 9/1965 Kalbcrkarnp 72-239 3,217,526 11/1965 Wilson et a1 72-239 3,221,530 12/1965 Swallow et a1 72-239 3,323,345 6/1967 Lyle et a1. 72-239 3,376,724 4/ 1968 Wolfendale et al. 72-239 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner 

